Material gathering and loading machine



\ J. S. HOUSMAN MATERIAL GATHERING AND LOADING MACHINE OxiginaAl FledOct. 13, 1932 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 26, 1937. n J. s. HoUsMAN 2,069,091

MATERIAL GATHERING AND LOADING MACHINE Original Filed Oct. 13, 1932 4Sheets-Sheet 2 www@ Jan. 2s, 1937.

J. s. HoUsMAN MATERIAL GATHERING`-AND LOADING MACHINE Original FiledOCt. 15, 1952 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Y ya J. S. HOUSMAN MATERIAL GATHERING ANDLOADING MACHINE "Jan, 26, 1937.'

4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Original Filed Oct. 15, 1932 w r MM SSP Patented Jan.26, 1937 UNITED STATES Ztdl PATENT @FFME MATERIAL GATHERING AND LOADINGMACHNE Application October 13, 1932, Serial No. 637,576 Renewed April 1,1936 9 Claims.

material gathering and loading machines particularly adapted foroperation in spaces of restricted vertical height for loading coal atthe working face of a mine.

The principal object of the invention is to provide a mechanism of thecharacter described particularly adapted for use in thin seams of coalfor loading along a long face constructed with a View towards utmostcompactness, simplicity, eiiiciency, maneuverability, and ease ofoperation.

Other objects of my invention will appear from time to time in thefollowing specification:

My invention may be more clearly understood with reference to theaccompanying drawings wherein:

Figure 1 is a top plan View of a loading machine illustrating one formin which my invention may be embodied, with parts broken away and insection to more clearly show the details thereof;

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the device shown in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is an enlarged side elevation of the forward portion of thedevice shown in Figure 1 with parts broken away and in section to moreclearly show the details of my invention;

Figure 4 is an enlarged plan view of the rearward portion of theembodiment of my inven- 30 tion shown in Figure 1 with parts broken awayand in section to more clearly show the details of my invention;

Figure 5 is a partial fragmentary longitudinal sectional view of therearward portion of the device shown in Figure 1;

Figure 6 is a sectional view taken substantially along line 6 6 ofFigure 3; and

Figure '7 is a working diagram of the device embodying my invention.

10 Like numerals refer to like parts throughout the various figures.

Referring now to the details of the machine as shown in Figures 1 and 2,the main elements thereof consist of a skid or main frame It hav- 45 ingup-turned sides and ends and being adapted to rest on the mine bottomfor slidable movement therealong, an inclined loading element liextending forwardly of said main frame and carried thereby, and adischarge conveyor I2 eX- 50 tending from beneath the rearward end ofsaid loading element and thence upwardly and rearwardly in an extendedoverhanging position beyond the rearward end of said main frame so as todischarge material into suitable material con- 55 veying means.

This invention relates to improvements in The inclined loading element Hincludes a conveyor I4 supported in side frame members I5 on either sideof the main frame It and extending forwardly therefrom, which side framemembers, besides supporting the conveyor, form a 5 means for retainingmaterial thereon. The conveyor lli is inclined for a portion of itslength from a position disposed forwardly of the main. frame Il and itsupper portion extends substantially horizontally rearwardly along said10 main frame to a point adjacent the rearward end thereof above thedischarge conveyor l2.

The inclined conveyor lli may be of any suitable construction whichrequires a minimum amount of vertical space, but is herein preferably 15shown as being made from a wire mesh belt I6 extending around adirection changing device |11 of a minimum diameter supported at itsends in the side frame members l5 adjacent the lower forward portionthereof and extending upwardly 20 and rearwardly therefrom for a portionof its length along the upper side of a plate i8 and thence horizontallyand rearwardly around a toothed drive roller I9. From the toothed driveroller I9, the wire mesh belt extends beneath the plate l 8 alongsuitable guide means to the direction changing device Il.

The wire mesh belt I6 is of a usual construction made from interlacedstrands of wire in a manner similar to woven wire fencing, and itsparticular advantages are that it forms a suitable eiiicient conveyingmedium for coal which may pass around direction changing devices of lessdiameter than other conveyor means and thus makes possible theconstruction of conveying mechanism of less vertical height than withother conveying mediums and keeps the height of the loading machine downto the minimum vertical requirements necessary for operation in thinseams of coal.

The forward ends of the side frame members l5 are inclined at an angleof incidence with respect to the ground upon which the machine restsgreater than the conveyor It and form a means for supporting an inclinedapron 2| which 45 extends from a point adjacent the mine bottom andextreme forward lower ends of the side frame members i5 forwardly of theinclined conveyor Ill upwardly along the forward faces of said sideframe members on each side of said inclined conveyor. A portion 22 ofthe inclined apron 2| extends rearwardly from the forward end thereofalong the inner sides of the side frame members l5 in alignment with thelower portion of said side frame members to form in effect a shoe forengaging an uneven mine bottom during the loading operation. The forwardportion of the inclined apron 2l and lower portion of the forward endsof the side frame members i5 are concavely curved so as to form a curvedsupport for chain guiding members 23. Said chain guiding members are soformed that their contour corresponds with the contour of the apron 2|and are disposed on each side of the conveyor H. The chain guidingmembers 23 extend beyond the forward end of the conveyor l5 andforwardly of the forward end of the inclined apron 2|.

Thus the chain guiding members 23 may guide suitable endless chains 24for movement thereabout in a closed. orbital path in such a manner thatgathering means carried thereby may engage and move along the groundforwardly of said chain guiding members. The endless chains 24 areconstructed in such a manner that they may readily follow the curvedconto-ur of the chain guiding members 23, which construction is wellknown to those skilled in the art so will not herein be shown ordescribed in detail.

The' gathering means carried by the endless chains 24 comprise aplurality of gathering arms 25 mounted thereon in a usual manner forengaging and moving the mined coal onto the conveyor Ul.

An independent motor 2`| is provided for driving each endless chain 24so said endless chains may be operated independently with respect toeach other in a simplified manner, thus eliminating complicated systemsof gearing and clutches which necessarily add to the height and bulk ofthe machine.

Inasmuch as the drive from each motor to each endless chain 25 issimilar, the drive from one motor only will herein be described.

The motor 2l is arranged so as to extend longitudinally of the mainframe I0 and is substantially parallel to the inclined apron 2| and issupported on the outer side of the side frame member l5 beneath saidinclined apron in a` usual'manner well known to those familiar with theart. A bevel armature pinion 23 is pro vided on the motor 2'1, whichbevel pinion meshes with and drives a bevel gear 29 on a shaft Bsubstantially perpendicular to the inclined apron 2|. A pinion 3| is cutintegral with the shaft 3|! and meshes with and drives a spur gear 33 ona parallel shaft 34. A helical gear is keyed on the shaft 34 adjacentthe end opposite the spur gear 33 and meshes with and drives a helicalgear 55 on a shaft 3l coaxial with the shaft 3U. A sprocket 3g is keyedon the opposite; end of the shaft 37 and meshes with the endless chain24 for driving said endless chain.

It may thus be seen that a compact driving arrangement of minimumvertical dimensions has been provided for the endless chains 2li, whichdriving arrangement is entirely beneath the inclined apron 2| andrequires no vertical height additional to the height of the conveyor |4.

Referring now in particular to the means for feeding the inclinedloading element into the loose material and moving the main frame orskid Il) about the mine bottom, a plurality of feed drums i0 areprovided on each side thereof. The feed drums 40 are coaxially arrangedabout a shaft 5| disposed transversely of the main frame l5 rearwardlyof the discharge conveyor I2 and beneath the conveyor I4.

Each of the drums 5) is adapted to be independently driven from a motor43, which motor is mounted on the main frame lli adjacent the forwardend thereof beneath the conveyor I4 and is provided with an armatureshaft M eX- tendingy longitudinallywith respect thereto. A shaft i5 iscoaxial with the armature shaft 44 and extends rearwardly therefrom andis journaled in suitable ball bearings in a suitable bearing support andworm and worm gear housing d5 and is operatively connected with therea-rward end of the armature shaft Mi by means of a suitable 'flexiblecoupling generally indicated by reference character 41. A worm 58 iscuti integral with the shaft and meshes with and drives a worm gear 49keyed'on the transversely extending shaft il adjacent the centralportion thereof for driving said shaft. The shaft 4| is journaledadjacent opposite sides of the worm gear 59 and is journaled in its endswithin hubs 5@ of casings 5| of planetary gear reduction devicesgenerally indicated by reference character 52. The hubs 50 of thecasings 5| are in turn journaled in suitable bearing supports generallyindicated by reference character 53 secured to aid extending upwardlyfrom the main frame Inasrnuch as each planetary gear reduction device 52and the drive from said planetary gear reduction devices to the feeddrums 4@ is the same, the details of one only will herein be described.A sun gear 55 is keyed on'the shaft f! within the casing 5| and mesheswith and drives planetary pinions 56, which planetary pinions in turnmesh with an internal gear 5l:

on the inner periphery of the casing 5|.

The planetary pinions 55 are journaled on suitable stud shafts 59 havingenlarged heads 60 abutting the outer side of the planetary pinions 5Eand passing through a body portion 6| of the feed drum d@ and having anut threaded on its opposite end abutting the outer side of said bodyportion for holding said stud shaft to said body portion. The bodyportion 6| of the feed drum M is in turn journaled on the shaft 4| bymeans of suitable ball bearings so said drum may rotate upon rotation ofthe planetary pinions 56 about the sun gear 55.

Suitable friction means are provided to` engage the outer periphery of'the casing 5| to hold said casing and the internal gear 51 fromrotation or to permit slippage of said casing upon overload which may beof any type but which is herein preferably shown as being a frictionband 63 which is engaged with or disengaged from the outer periphery ofthe casing 5| by means of a suitablesystem of levers in an ordinarymanner (not shown).

lt may thus be seen that when the internal gear 5'! is held fromrotation by means of the friction band 63, that the planetary pinions 56will be driven about said internal gear by means of the sun gear 55which in turn will drive the feed drum 4U through the stud shafts 59,that the speed of rotation of said drum may be varied by varying thepressure of the friction band t3 on the casing 5|, and that, uponoverload of said feed drum, the friction band 53 will slip on the outerperiphery of the casing 5| which will prevent breakage of the parts inthe drive for said feed drum. Y

It may further be seen that the friction band. 63 serves as a clutchmeans foi` connecting the feed drum @E to the shaft 45 in a simplifiedmanner so it may be driven therefrom and vice versa.

Suitable means are provided for braking the feed drums 40 and forming ameans whereby either of said drums may serve as a retarding drum toretard movement of one portion of the machine while it is being moved bythe opposite drum to aid in manipulating the machine about the mine,which means comprises friction bands 64 adapted to engage the outerperiphery of flanges 65 integral with the outer sides of the feed drumslll] and extending over the casings 5l for a portion of their length soas tobe disposed adjacent the friction bands 63 on the inner sidethereof. The friction bands 64 may be engaged with or disengaged fromthe flanges 65 for holding the feed drums lill from rotation orpermitting said feed drums to be fed at a frictionally controlled speedby means of a suitable system of levers in a usual manner (not shown).

It may thus be seen that either of the feed drums 40 may be driven fromthe shaft l5 at a reduced frictionally controlled speed and that eitherof said drums may be held from rotation with respect to said shaft whendisconnected therefrom to serve as a retarding device.

Suitable flexible feeding members 61 are adapted to be connected to andwound on the feed drums 49. The exible feeding members 61 are adapted toextend forwardly from the' feed drums 49 around guide sheaves E8outwardly and forwardly therefrom around guide sheaves 69 disposedadjacent the forward outer ends of the main frame I9 for pulling themachine forwardly into the coal or along the face of the coal.

The flexible feeding members 61 may also extend around guide sheaves 1l]in alignment with the guide sheaves: 68 on the outer sides thereof andrearwardly therefrom around guide sheaves 1l to a guide sheave 13disposed adjacent the longitudinal center line of the main frame IE!adjacent the rearward end thereof for moving the machine rearwardlyalong the mine bottom.

Referring now to the drive for the wire mesh belt I6 of the conveyorIll, a shaft 1E.- is coaxial with the shaft @5 and extends rearwardlytherefrom. The shaft 19 is driven from the shaft i5 by means of asuitable flexible coupling generally indicated by reference character15. A worm and worm gear drive, generally indicated by referencecharacter iii, drives a transversely extending shaft 'Il from the shaft14. The outer end of the transversely extending shaft 11 is splined andengages the inner portion of a splined sleeve 18, which splined sleeveis journaled in suitable bearing supports extending upwardly from themain frame if! and has a sprocket 19 freely mounted thereon. Suitablemeans are provided for operatively connecting the sprocket 19 with thesplined sleeve 18 which may be of any construction but is hereinpreferably shown as being a jaw clutch of an ordinary type generallyindicated by reference character 89. The sprocket 19 is in turnconnected with the toothed drive roller I9 for driving said tootheddrive roller by means of a suitable chain and sprocket drive generallyindicated by reference character 8|.

Thus the motor .13 serves as a means for independently driving both ofthe feed drums for moving the machine about the mine or feeding theinclined loading element ii into the loose material and as a means fordriving the conveyor I4, and said feed drums, motor, and drive therefromare of a simplified compact construction confined within the verticallimits of the inclined loading device II, effecting an efficient drivefor said feed drums and conveyor and maintaining a loading machine of aminimum vertical height.

The discharge conveyor I2 includes a hopper S3 formed integral with thesides thereof beneath the discharge end of the conveyor I4, which hopperis mounted on a supporting member adapted to be supported on the mainframe I9 adjacent the rearward end thereof for rotation with respectthereto about a vertical ax1s.

The supporting member 85 includes a bottom plate 86, a plate 81 spacedupwardly therefrom, and a cylindrical support member 88 supporting theplate 81 on the bottom plate 86. The bottom plate 86 is circular and isadapted to rest on an annular bearing member 89 and is guided within acircular guide 99 formed integral with the main frame I0 and extendingupwardly therefrom. An annular bearing member 9| is adapted to rest onthe top portion of the bottom plate 86 and its upper surface is engagedby a suitable annular ring 92 forming a guide means for the bottom plate8S so said plate and the discharge conveyor I2 may be rotated about avertical axis for discharging material at various angles with respect tothe conveyor I4.

The discharge conveyor I2 is of the wire mesh belt type and a suitablewire mesh belt 93 is driven from a motor 94 on the underside thereof bymeans of a suitable chain and sprocket drive in an ordinary manner andgenerally indicated by reference character 95.

With reference to Figure '1 and a preferred form of the use andoperation of the device of my invention, the loading machine is shown insolid as being disposed adjacent one side of a mined coal face with itsgathering arms 25 being fed into the mined coal. Both of the flexiblefeeding members B1 are connected to jacks 96. The rearward end of thedischarge conveyor I2 is disposed over a suitable conveying mechanismgenerally indicated by reference character 91. As power is applied tothe feed drums 40, the gathering arms 25 being driven about the guidemembers 23, the flexible feeding members 61 feed the inclined loadingelement II into the loose material. The loose material moved onto, theconveyor I4 by the gathering arms 25 is discharged into the dischargeconveyor I2 from where it is discharged into the conveying mechanism 91.

As the loading machine progresses into the coal, the conveying mechanism91 is moved therewith. As the conveying mechanism is moved with theloading machine, said loading machine is simultaneously turned bymanipulating either or both of the feed drums 40 until said machine ispositioned so it may be moved substantially parallel with the coal face,the jacks 95 being moved as the loading operation progresses. Theloading mechanism being so positioned, is moved along the face of thecoal so as to continuously load and discharge the mined coal into theconveying mechanism 91, which conveying mechanism in turn loads saidloose material onto suitable material carrying means, such as mine carsor other conveyors, for transportation from the mine. The conveyingmechanism 91 is then positioned as is indicated by broken lines,parallel with the face of the coal and disposed a distance from themined coal so that the discharge conveyor i2 may discharge materialtherein when disposed at right angles to the skid HJ.

It may now be seen that a new and improved device has been provided forloading coal in mines which is constructed with a View towards utmostsimplicity and compactness especially with regard to verticaldimensions, said machine being so arranged as to eliminate all supportiwheels or traction drive means which necessarily add to the height ofthe machine. It may alsolv be seen that said loading device is of arelatively simple construction and may readily be' continuously fed intothe material and is particularlyadapted for loading into conveyors orother continuous material transporting mechanisms. f

While I have herein shown and described one form of my invention, itwill be understood that the construction and arrangement of the variousparts may be altered without departing from the spirit and scopethereof. Furthermore, I do not wish to be construed as limiting myselfto the specic form illustrated, excepting as it may be specificallylimited in the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

l. In a loading mechine, a main frame, and gathering and loadingmechanism therefor comprising an inclined conveyer, an inclined aprondisposed forwardly of and on each side of said inclined conveyer, aplurality of orbitally guided endless chains having gathering armsthereon guided in guide means mounted on said apron on each side of saidinclined conveyor and extending forwardly of said conveyer, andindividual drive means for each of said endless chains for driving saidendless chains independently or simultaneously of each other comprisinga separate motor disposed beneath each of said endless chains and havinga `drive connection therewith.

2. In a loading machine, a main frame, and gathering and loadingmechanism therefor comprising an inclined conveyer, an inclined aprondisposed forwardly of and on each side of said inclined conveyer, aplurality of orbitally guided endless chains having gathering armsthereon guided in guide means mounted on said apron on each side of saidinclined conveyer and extending forwardly of said conveyer, andindividual drive means for each of said endless chains for driving saidendless chains independently or simultaneously of each other comprisinga separate motor disposed beneath each of said endless chains and havinga reduced geared drive connection therewith.

3. In a loading machine, a main frame, and gathering and loadingmechanism therefor comprising an inclined conveyer, an inclined aprondisposed forwardly of and on each side of said inclined conveyer, aplurality of orbitally guided endless chains having gathering armsthereon guided in guide means mounted on said apron on each side of saidinclined conveyer and extending forwardly of said conveyer, andindividual drive means for each of said endless chains for driving saidendless chains independently or simultaneously of each other comprisinga separate motor disposed beneath each of said endless chains on theunderside of said apron, said motors having their axes extendinggenerally longitudinallyof said apron and having a drive connection withsaid endless chains.

4. In a loading machine, a main frame, and gathering and loadingmechanism thereof comprising an inclined conveyer, an inclined aprondisposed forwardly of and on each side of said inclined conveyer, aplurality of orbitally guided endless chains having gathering armsthereon guided in guide means mounted on said apron on each side of saidinclined conveyer and extending forwardly of said conveyer, andindividual drive means for each of said endless chains for driving saidendless chains independently or simultaneously of each other comprisinga separate motor disposed beneath each of said endless chains on theunderside of said apron, said motors having their axes extendinggenerally longitudinally of said apron, and a drive connection from eachof said motors to said associated endless chains including a bevel gearand pinion and a plurality of reduction gears.

5. In a loading machine, a main frame adapted to rest on and slide alongthe mine bottom, a conveyor extending Vfrom a point disposed forwardlyof said main frame upwardly and horizontally to a point adjacent therearward end of said main frame, an apron disposed to each side of andextending forwardly of said conveyor, a pair of orbitally guided endlesschains having gathering arms thereon guided on said apron and extendingforwardly of said apron, and a motor on said main frame beneath saidconveyor and apron and having a motor shaft extending longitudinallythereof, a pair of feed drums having flexible feed members. thereon,disposed beneath said conveyor and adapted to form a means for movingsaid main frame along the ground, a selective drive connectionl fromsaid motor to said feed drums comprising a worm in alignment with anddriven by the forward end of said motor shaft, a' worm gear driventhereby and a separate planetary geared connection between said worm andeach of said drums, and another drive connection to said conveyorcomprising a worm in alignment with and driven from said motor shaft anda worm gear driven thereby.

6. In a loading machine, a main frame comprising a skid adapted to reston and slide along the mine bottom, and gathering and loading mechanismtherefor comprising an inclined conveyor, an inclined apron disposedforwardlyY of and on each side of said inclined conveyor, a plurality oforbitally guided endless chains having gathering arms thereon, saidorbitally guided endless chains being guided in guide means mounted onsaid apron on each side of said inclined conveyor and extendingforwardly of said apron, and individual drive means for each of saidendless chains for driving said endless chains independently orsimultaneously of each other comprising a separate motor disposedbeneath each of said endless chains and having a drive connectiontherewith.

'1. In a loading machine, a main frame comprising a skid adapted to reston and slide along the mine bottom, andrgathering and loading mechanismtherefor comprising an inclined conveyor, an inclined apron disposedforwardly of and on each side of said inclined conveyor, a plurality oforbitally guided endless chains having gathering arms thereon, saidorbitally guided endless chains being guided in guide means mounted onsaid apron on each side of said inclined conveyor and extendingforwardly of said apron, and individual drive means for each of saidendless chains for driving said endless chains independently orsimultaneously of each other comprising a separate motor disposedbeneath each of said endless chains and having a reduced geared driveconnection therewith.

8. In a loading machine, a main frame comprising a skid adapted to reston and slide along the mine bottom, and gathering and loading mechanismtherefor comprising an inclined conveyor, an inclined apron disposedforwardly of and on each side of said inclined conveyor, a plurality oforbitally guided endless chains having gathering arms thereon, saidorbitally guided endless chains being guided in guide means mounted onsaid apron on each side of said inclined conveyor and extendingforwardly of said apron, and individual drive means for each of saidendless chains for driving said endless chains independently orsimultaneously of each other comprising a separate motor disposedbeneath each of said endless chains on the underside of said apron andhaving their axes extending generally longitudinally of said apron.

9. In a loading machine, a main frame comprising a skid adapted to reston and slide along the mine bottom, and gathering and loading mechanismtherefor comprising an inclined conveyor, an inclined apron disposedforwardly of and on each side of said inclined conveyor, a plurality oforbitally guided endless chains having gathering arms thereon, saidorbitally guided endless chains being guided in guide means mounted onsaid apron on each side of said inclined conveyor and extendingforwardly of said apron, and individual drive means for each of saidendless chains for driving said endless chains independently orsimultaneously of each other comprising a separate motor disposedbeneath each of said endless chains on the underside of said apron andhaving their aXes extending generally longitudinally of said apron and abevel gear and pinion and a plurality of reduction gears connectedbetween each of said motors and its respective endless chain.

JOHN S. HOUSMAN.

